


Stroke of Luck (is it really, though?)

by AngeNoir



Series: Inktober 2018 [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bounty Hunters, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Space Opera, Bounty Hunters, Gen, Space Opera, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 00:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16230656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngeNoir/pseuds/AngeNoir
Summary: Steve got lucky - looking for some lunch, what did he see except the bounty he'd just been called about. It was child's play to nab him, especially since the bounty had simply collapsed on the synth-couch and fallen asleep himself.He didn't know why Jaym seemed so resistant.





	Stroke of Luck (is it really, though?)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually really happy I got to play around in this universe again. I have like, an actual skeleton and fleshed out plot for this story. hmm.

“It doesn’t feel right.”

Steve rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. “Look, Jaym, I get that sedation isn’t fair sport or what ever bung is up your snout, but that’s the only way to transport someone who’s a Gold-Grade hack. His thoughts alone could slip past our firewalls.”

“We got some better firewalls now,” Zamael pointed out, hefting the bag of supplies higher onto his shoulders, feathers ruffling as he shifted the weight. “It’d be harder for him to do it, I’d think.”

Clint grumbled under his breath - not something Steve could make out, though, so he didn’t say anything.

“I’m just saying - you stumbled across him by  _luck,_ and not only that, he was checking into a flopper to  _sleep_. It was child’s play to catch him, just slip into his compartment, dart’im, an there ya go. Truss i’m up like a chicken an’ heft ‘im up on your shoulder, no more ta say.”

Steve squinted at Jaym. “I know you’re trying to be a phroah about this, but all I’m hearin’ is that you’re upset it was easy.”

Jaym glowered at him, and then looked at the rest of the crew, before snagging Steve’s ear and pulling him away. Hissing, Steve felt his scales rattling and he tried to jerk out of Jaym’s grip as Jaym marched him away from Zamael, Clint, and the restrained, drugged bounty.

“ _Look_  at ‘im, Steve. Really look. He’s a frakking kid.”

“He’s a scion to a Diamond Class family. He’s some rich kid that decided he wanted to slum it, so he snuck out. He’s got some fancy military-grade -  _or better_  - firewalls, and the knowledge to slide through  _other_  people’s firewalls. He may be a frakkin kid, but he’s one that we just gotta take and dump back on his parents’ doorstep and be done with. 10 mil goldcred, Jaym. We could not only improve our firewall, but we’d be on our first step to an actual cruiser and a piece of land somewhere. We can stop drifting from port to port,” Steve said, voice soft. “I know you gotta soft spot when it comes to kids, but he ain’t like you an’ me.”

“How do you know?” Jaym asked grimly. “Because, from where I’m standing, he looks skinny and tired and grokt tiny. We haven’t even had a chance to research the frakking situation. We don’t  _know_  who put that bounty up. Without knowledge, we can’t get a handle on this, and we can’t keep ourselves from stepping in a bigger phroah dung pile than we want.”

“So we’ll read up on ‘im in transport while we deep-six towards our destination. If anything looks wiggy, we pull out and reassess.” Steve put his hands on his hips. “This came from R’Coulson. It’s not like I pulled this out of the black.”

After a few more moments, Jaym sighed. “HieDaRa would do this, you know. Put up high bounties for people, and then ransom them from families, or change them to suit their needs.”

Steve patted Jaym’s back, reached up to scratch at Jaym’s ears. Jaym had been a POW of HieDaRa forces for over fifteen years before Steve had managed to locate and rescue him with his then three-person crew. Well, not just his crew - he had been helped out by another bounty team, a six-person team that he had known for a while, that had trained him after his initial skin molt that had left him bigger and stronger.

They would have time to research this kid, maybe call R’Coulson and get more background on the job.

Right now, though, it looked like their luck was finally looking up.


End file.
